United States Attorney Jenny A. Durkan
Western District of Washington

Justice Department Awards more than $11 Million to Enhance Tribal Justice and Safety in Western Washington

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 14, 2011

Seattle – U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan announced today more than $11 million in grants to ten Native American Tribes in the Western District of Washington to enhance law enforcement practices and sustain crime prevention and intervention efforts. These funds will focus on eight areas: public safety and community policing; methamphetamine enforcement; justice systems and alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; violence against women; elder abuse; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs.

“Access to justice is crucial to public safety. These grants seek to enhance both enforcement and prevention programs on our Tribal lands, based on the needs of each community. This includes providing better training and equipment for tribal law enforcement, supporting tribal youth programs and domestic violence programs, and contributing to adequate facilities for both a justice center and a detention facility,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.

“I am pleased today to announce the Justice Department’s continued investment in programs that offer innovative and comprehensive approaches to public safety and justice in Indian Country,” said Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli. “Our government-to-government consultations have been critical to our understanding of how to better serve and support our tribal partners. By deepening our engagement with tribal governments, we have sought to help put an end to the unacceptable and sobering crime rates witnessed in Indian Country.”

The awards were made under the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), a single application for tribal-specific grant programs offered by the Justice Department. Overall, the Justice Department today announced grants of $118.4 million to nearly 150 American Indian and Alaskan Native nations across the country. In Western Washington, the following Tribes are receiving funding under this program:

The Justice Department developed CTAS and administered the first round of consolidated grants in September 2010 in response to shared views of tribal leaders that the department’s grant-making process was too cumbersome and needed increased flexibility. Today, tribes seeking funding for more than one purpose area can submit a single grant application, instead of multiple applications.

The grants are administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing (COPS), Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The complete list of the Fiscal Year 2011 CTAS grantees, a CTAS Fact Sheet and other information about the consolidated solicitation is also available at www.tribaljusticeandsafety.gov.

Soon after he came into office, Attorney General Eric Holder identified building and sustaining safe and secure tribal nations as one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities. In June of 2009, the department launched a wide-ranging initiative to strengthen public safety in Indian Country. Since that time, the department has taken a number of steps to deepen its commitment to Indian nations and to develop more effective partnership with tribal leaders, police, prosecutors, courts and advocates to address and combat crime.